The GOP has added 18,241 voters to the rolls since the June primary, a 1.7 percent increase, according to figures at the state Division of Elections. The number of Democratic voters has increased by 3,199.

The Democrats still hold a 3-to-2 margin over the Republicans. There are 1.7 million registered Democratic voters, compared with 1.1 million Republicans.

But the state’s 2.4 million unaffiliated voters still dwarf both major parties and usually prove to be the deciding factor in any major election.

Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University, said the GOP statewide and nationwide has the upper hand in an enthusiasm gap between the two major parties.

“Republicans are much more excited about their chances,” Harrison said. “They have the momentum their volunteers are organized and energized.”

Harrison said that Republicans learned much from Gov. Chris Christie’s successful get-out-the-vote effort from last year’s gubernatorial election. Then, the Republicans used social networking efforts on the Internet and used volunteers in suburban neighborhoods to boost totals in GOP strongholds such as Monmouth and Ocean counties.

“Part of this (voter) surge is due to the fact that there is a much more sophisticated Republican organization on the ground in this state,” Harrison said.

These developments should be huge for Anna Little in the 6th congressional district and Jon Runyan in the 3rd:

[Joseph Marbach, provost at LaSalle University] said one indicator of the how things have changed is the relatively close race between Republican challenger Anna Little and Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. Pallone is well financed and has been a congressman for more than 20 years, while Little served less than two years as a county freeholder and is now Highlands mayor.

Pallone is up by 7 points, the latest polls show. “Little (winning) would be a real upset, and it already is with it as close as it is,” Marbach said.

Another indicator of the Republican surge is in New Jersey’s 3rd District, where U.S. Rep. John Adler is running neck-and-neck with Republican challenger Jon Runyon, the former Philadelphia Eagles lineman, Marbach said.

Donate your time, money and/or energy to help put Anna Little and Jon Runyan over the top in their districts. There’s still some time.

Police are investigating an alleged trespassing incident involving a Democratic campaign volunteer and the family of Republican congressional candidate Jon Runyan.

Last Wednesday, Fredric C. Samson of Mount Holly allegedly trespassed on the Runyans’ Mount Laurel property and took photographs as their youngest daughter, Isabella, played in the front yard, according to a Mount Laurel Police report.

The 8-year-old went into the house and told her mother that Samson was standing in the driveway, according to Jon Runyan. Loretta Runyan, a former Houston police officer, got into her car and followed Samson for four miles until he stopped at Rep. John Adler’s Evesham campaign office.

Runyan notified both her husband and 911 using her OnStar system, he said. An Evesham patrol car met them at Adler’s office, and the investigation was transferred to the Mount Laurel Police Department.

Samson, a Burlington County Democratic committeeman, said Tuesday that he didn’t “have anything to say” about the investigation.

“There’s nothing to talk about here,” Samson replied, when asked to comment on the incident and his role in Adler’s re-election campaign.

According to a records search, Samson, 64, is a licensed social worker in Burlington County.

“Last Wednesday a volunteer photographer took seven photos of the front of Jon Runyan’s house, nothing more,” said Carol Gaskill, spokeswoman for the Adler campaign, in a statement e-mailed late Tuesday afternoon. “The photographer was instructed not to take any photos of Jon Runyan or any member of his family.

“We apologize if images of the Runyan property have brought any discomfort to Mr. and Mrs. Runyan.”

Yeah. We apologize that taking pictures of your house, with your eight year old daughter playing on the front lawn brought you any distress, bitches.

These people are sick.

This story leads the news on CNN, MSNBC and all the rest, if this was a Republican campaign worker or–heaven forbid–a Tea Party activist who was snapping pictures of a Democrat candidate’s home.